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We tend to think of healing as a single level but relaxation, the reduction of stress, assistance in sleep and pain management can be helpful in those to are about to make the transition.

It also provides a powerful way to connect – and creates a relaxed environment in which to talk about things the dying person might feel unable to with others or in more clinical settings. That’s not to say it won’t be challenging! But it can be an opportunity to share love as a family that is unique to our regular experiences.

My dad died of cancer last year. An inoperable brain tumour; and being able to provide him with the benefits of Reiki and my counselling/psychoanalysis experience…and natural forms of treatment, was intensely beneficial for us both. Being able to offer support and guidance in a situation that seems otherwise may seem bleak is an opportunity to reclaim the sacred aspects of this unique time. An opportunity beneficial (potentially) to all involved.

Natural Healing techniques can help relieve symptoms; we may benefit from healing on a spiritual and emotional level. Knowing you’re terminally ill can make people depressed – it’s rather a monumental time and rather monumental news. And it’s not unusual to experience shock and the stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining), when we hear the word “terminal”. But the shock part passes and we have to find a way to live with death. Something our life experience rarely prepares us for; it can make people feel unable to discuss the nitty gritty too – how death happens biologically. What to expect. What is a death rattle? Why do people who are dying usually go into a coma?

We can find these things out. And understanding the physical process can be reassuring. But creating an environment in which people feel they can connect and share in what is a very intimate experience…that’s the part no one teaches us! And I believe Reiki and sharing energy healing can be an excellent starting point for opening up and sharing our experiences and ideas together.

Death is a natural part of our lives – but we do tend to think of it as something that happens in a clinical setting with drips and medical staff…and ends with an anonymous phone call from a random doctor at 3am. We’ve stopped seeing it as being part of the cycle of life – and started to see aging and mortality as negative and to be avoided at all costs!

We are very distanced from our mortality in the modern world and this is emphasised in many ways by modern medicine…and probably also the fact many of us aren’t religious these days; also there is a way that even in some religions death is considered an inappropriate topic for discussion – or it’s discussed only in coded terms. The afterlife being focused on rather than death itself and the biological process of death.

Something important is lost in this I feel. Think back 100 or 150 years, people were used to seeing death first hand from an early age. Their family members usually died at home and often with the same treatments as end of life care provided now…counsellors instead of priests – but with morphine to control symptoms of the final days and hours.

If we saw this in our homes from a young age, we would undoubtedly understand death in a very different way. And while we consider such close encounters with the dying potentially depressing (tragic, unbelievable, despair inspiring) when they happen in the real world today, they don’t have to be. This modern perspective is rather new and our past understanding of the process can teach us a lot.

Death can be seen as part of a natural transition. The physical death of the body here marking its rebirth into the next world. A sacred experience when we see it from this perspective and allow ourselves to overcome our fears and resistance and to see…it may be messy or strange to us…so is the birth of babies! But we don’t have a problem seeing that as sacred. Death comes to all and yet we can go through most of our lives trying to remain “uninvolved”. I feel this is not only to our detriment but also to the detriment of those who are dying. And one day, that will apply to each of us.

Don’t be depressed…you will die one day; you will live on many others!

My dad received home hospice care during his transition and it opened my eyes in many ways to the very personal experience the dying person has. And how modern attitudes can be isolating and prevent a natural transition being experienced in a natural way by everyone involved.

There are some great books (especially those by Felicity Warner) about Soul Midwifery. And the Pagan Book of Living and Dying by Starhawk that offer some practical and philosophical ideas that can draw people together if things are experienced openly and this final journey considered something we take together and acknowledge for the sacred time it is.

I’m all for using Reiki as a complimentary therapy to assist in achieving a good/peaceful passing.

As I said, not all healing takes place on a physical level. The mental, spiritual and emotional benefits can be incredibly powerful for anyone involved – the person who is dying, the family and friends – Energy Healing can provide a way to share in the journey that can be powerfully healing for everyone.

My dad died at 67, in September last year. He had an inoperable #BrainTumour. He responded well to chemo…the tumour was fast growing and so from diagnosis to goodbye (for now), wasn’t very long.

He was loved to bits by everyone ♡ His memory lives on in those whose actions are inspired by his love and his often cited “be nice to each other”!

Happy Father’s Day Poppa….miss you millions. And, I stand by my assertion that love is a forever deal and keeps people together through aeons. It wouldn’t be love if it didn’t eh?

I love you dad ♡

Poppa chose this song for his funeral…

“There are places I remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I’ve loved them all (#Beatles)
____________
I chose this one for him in life and still…

Song begins at about 6 mins 30…intro poss not a good idea b/c I start crying b4 I finish it! But the 2nd take which runs straight afterwards, was ok.

Not sure about the recording…sang in my natural voicd but sound a bit off key in places and on my bluetooth speaker the backing track sounds too loud for my voice! But it is just me with a speaker playing the backing track and singing at the camera with no edit.

Song is #thebestday by #taylorswift on #asmr #whisperingwitch channel (info on that is in the info in the dropdown below the video)…& I go on to explain why I was moved to tears first time round!

Dedicated to my dad ♡ who died in September. Photo is of me with dad…who wanted me to promo cancer awareness and using #energyhealing (which I teach online through http://www.mayastar.net) and #reiki to assist transition and symptoms even in terminal cases or while someone is in the “active phase of dying).

It can he used to help relax, reduce symptoms in some cases and help smooth the emotional journey…for the patient and those around them if they are receptive. It also helps loved ones to feel they are able to do something to help and that can be important later to reflect on.

At the time this photo was taken dad had only a few months to live. As you can see…he didn’t look like he was dying. Didn’t actually look like he was 67 either! But at this stage he was on #chemo. He had a numb area on his face and gradually that spread. His death came quicker than expected (the younger you are the faster cells replace and the faster some types of tumour can grow).

For decades I have been drinking Apple Cider Vinegar daily. In my own mind I think of it as being good for the skin, a good alternative to caffeinated beverages. I also believe it’s beneficial because it has an alkalising effect on the body prevents me getting colds! Do I have proof? Not at all. There are publications about the benefits of ACV and of alkalising. But much of the miraculous benefits is based on anecdotal and personal (subjective) experience. Maybe it’s the world’s best placebo? But in a world where drug companies licence drugs that were out performed by sugar pills, perhaps we shouldn’t be so quick to write off the benefits of a placebo either!

The dangers of the acidifying effects of the Western Diet are well proven. NutritionFacts.Org is a great place to start if you’re a sceptic in this regard. No supplement will out save you from the damage eating a Western diet does! I recommend the annual lectures NutritionFacts.Org put on their YouTube channel each year too.

But back to ACV…for centuries, vinegar has been used for cleaning, disinfecting and in compresses to relief congestion or reduce inflammation. How much of this is folklore and how much based in science is massively hard to determine. Mostly because any scientific evidence is only partially useful (such as conclusions derived from animal tests not human ones). That means much of the science is dismissed as theoretical. And also means sometimes anecdotal evidence seems to trump the actual scientific research because it’s at least based on human experience!

But despite this…I still swear by it! And since it tastes good and doesn’t have negative side effects, I would continue to drink it even it didn’t have benefits!

Apple Cider Vinegar is not like “normal’ vinegar. It smells of vinegar but mix it with water and it tastes like apple juice. Many people swear by honey and lemon…which sounds more paletable than Vinegar I’m sure. But ACV doesn’t taste like vinegar! I particularly like Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar – which you can now find easily at Amazon or your local health food store – which famously includes the “mother” (explained later). And grade B maple syrup is a nice addition if you have a sweet tooth.

As a folk remedy, it has been claimed to help with numerous health problems.

These includes weight loss, lowering blood sugar levels, reduction of symptoms in inflammatory conditions such arthritis. The prevention colds and diseases. Clearer skin and shinier hair. Prevention of food poisoning. Even sometimes suggested as useful to prevent nausea in pregnancy and to cure stomach ulcers! That it can cure and prevent cancer. It can prevent flatulence. It can prevent headaches. There seems no end to the claims for that magick of ACV if you do a quick google search! It’s not new. But it’s currently very much in vogue as alternative and complimentary medicines and supplements go!

I did a little digging and found some interesting properties of Apple Cider Vinegar and associated health benefits that have been scientifically tested (to a point) and verified…things that may go some way to support at least some of the anecdotal claims.

The following health benefits of ACV ARE supported by scientific research. Research that is not extensive or comprehensive enough to make recommendations of dosages or anything. But even so, they are very compelling!

1. ACV is high in acetic acid; this has significant biological properties.

ACV is made by two processes. The first combines crushed apples with yeast. That step causes the sugar to ferment and turns the mixture into Cider – where the sugar has become alcohol. Then the addiction of bacteria enables the fermentation process to continue until the alcohol changes to acetic acid. Acetic acid is found in all vinegars and it is made the same way essentially. But here I am just talking about about ACV.

Organic, unfiltered ACV (like Bragg’s) also contains “The Mother” – this is comprised of proteins, enzymes and bacteria (good bacteria) that make the product look opaque or cloudy.

This is important because some believe that it is the “mother” that’s responsible for most of the benefits – but there’s no scientific proof of that. However there is scientic proof of the benefits of acetic acid.

There are not many vitamins or minerals in ACV but it does contain potassium (good for your bones which aren’t only comprised of calcium!) – and potassium is an important mineral in keeping your heart beat regular. That’s why you find it isotonic drinks. There’s more to optimal hydration than pure water!

Even slight dehydration can make a person feel unwell and cause all kinds of problems in the long term.

2. Acetic Acid has powerful antibacterial effects.

So although it has traditionally been used for disinfecting. It has also been used to treat fungal infections (stinky feet!), lice, warts and ear infections. Gargling with ACV and water may genuinely naturally reduce your risk of catching infections!

However, science has focused on the effects of acetic acid in cleansing rather than the potential benefits of consuming it.

In Victorian times it was commonly used as a beauty aid. Applied to the final rinse of your hair to increase shine. Applied to spots. Applied to the face as a kind of “toner”. It was also consumed to maintain a pale complexion.

However, remember the Victorians also consumed Arsenic in small quantities to keep a pale complexion!

Was it’s common use in beauty treatments due to the fact it was commonly used to clean things so it was accessible to everyone? Possibly. But the science backs some of the claims…

Vinegar was used for wound cleaning by Hippocrates over two thousand years ago. And it’s likely been used widely in that capacity. We still use alcohol to kill bacteria and reduce the risk of infection. It would follow that using it on spots may well be beneficial.

Vinegar was also (and still is) used as a food preservative. Now we can scientifically prove it can do more – studies show that it inhibits the growth of “bad bacteria” (like E Coli) in the food.

Some drink vinegar when on holiday abroad, before meals to “protect” from food poisoning. Does that really work? We don’t know. But it does make a kind of sense!

3. ACV may lower blood sugar spikes.

This is the most successful scientifically tested application of vinegar to date and especially pertinent to patients with type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is identified by elevated blood sugar, either due to insulin resistance or an inability to produce insulin.

We know that in diabetes, diet can manage symptoms and sometimes heal the body – essentially reversing the condition. ACV can’t do that…but it may be helpful.

Indiginous populations have extremely high rates of diabetes from consumption of refined carbohydrates (not just sugar) than those who’ve been eating it longer. We haven’t evolved to tolerate the Western diet. We consider Type 2 Diabetes an age related condition. In fact it’s unheard of in places where the main diet is a plant based vegan diet…high in veggies, low in refined carbs.

Diabetes has a number of complications that can present. Excepting coma and death! Hypertension, nerve pain and blindness. It is a major cause of disability and the reduction of the health span of a person, even ignoring the reduction in lifespan.

That humble ACV may help as a preventative or treatment that has NO SIDE EFFECTS is amazing. And certainly worth trying!

If you are diabetic, of course, run it by your GP before you make changes. Some modern medicines preclude an increase in consumption of vinegar or reduction in the consumption or sugars without supervision…so err on the side of caution.

Blood sugar spikes can also be a problem in people who don’t have diabetes. These fluctuations are known to affect mood, can cause insomnia and even increase seizure risk in epilepsy. Blood sugar fluctuations are also a cause of aging and a precursor to many chronic diseases we have come to associate with age.

Vinegar improves insulin sensitivity during a high-carb meal (in some tests by up to 34%), which significantly lowers blood sugar levels and our response to insulin.

Insulin is the hormone we need for our body to make use of the food we eat. The body literally starves if we don’t make it and similarly the body goes hungry if our body becomes resistant to insulin.

4. Some studies have shown that ACV facilitates weightloss.

Given the benefits outlined in number 3, the mechanism for this may be better understood.

Several studies suggest that vinegar can increase your sense of fullness, helping you eat fewer calories.

In studies, consuming vinegar once a day with a high-carb meal increased feelings of fullness and people ate 200-275 fewer calories for the rest of the day. In context, eating 200 calories less each day in a year equates to about 20lbs in weight!

5. ACV has beneficial effects on the heart.

Cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) is currently the world’s biggest cause of death and disability.

Studies showed that ACV can reduce both cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It may also contain the antioxidant which has been shown to protect bad cholesterol particles from becoming oxidised. As I said…the research is lacking. It proves some things…and theorises others. It definitely needs more investigation!

Heart health is a essential for a healthy complexion and it may be where this folk medicine idea originated. The heart when healthy carries oxygen around the body. If it isn’t doing that properly all kinds of problems show up before the heart attack. Erectile dysfunction. Atrophied brain. Back ache due to nerve pain. All part of the same disease.

Scientifically ACV reduced contributory factors to heart disease. As well as reducing blood pressure. That implicates it in potential benefits for many conditions that arise from heart disease…conditions that may show up long before you know you have heart disease.

6. Perhaps the most hyped benefit of ACV is that it protect against the uncontrolled growth of cells which is the cause of cancer.

There are some outlandish claims online about the anti-cancer effects of ACV. Diet and exercise are always going to trump any treatment in the prevention and treatment of MOST cancers. Most cancers are related to lifestyle to some extent. But not all.

Some studies have shown ACV may kill cancer cells and shrink tumours. But more research needs to be done before anyone can claim it is a CURE. The same goes for Essiac Tea & Cannabis Oil.

As with all the studies showing the benefits, the ACV ones are too limited at the moment to be genuinely conclusive. And not all tumours respond to the same treatments. Some vanish on a vegan diet for example. Some don’t. We don’t actually know how many cancers spontaneously heal without intervention. We know some do though!

The main cause of cancer development is damage to the DNA which can be exacerbated by a number of lifestyle choices. So if you want to reduce your cancer risk, I would recommend looking at your diet and exercise programme before you decide to rely on vinegar! But with the health benefits it indicates in studies, it’s a bonus if it does have any anti carcinogenic properties.

In Summary…

From the limited evidence & few studies, I stand by my own anecdotal assertion that ACV may be useful in health maintenance, Anti-Aging and disease prevention. It is made an excellent option for some self testing because it tastes great and doesn’t have side effects!

As you can see, henna mix with lashings of coconutoil applied. Eyelashes & eyebrows tinted to avoid that enkempt washed out look.

Have to make a bit of effort once you’re over 40 – esp if you’re a hippie & red hair & Lush tinted lipbalm is your only concession to daily “maintenance”! (I’m very sparing when it comes to make up and hairstyling. But like to consider it more a boho chic choice! Important to be proactive about your inactivity…otherwise it is just laziness!)

Other natural beauty tips: seven hours sleep a day (I’m nocturnal), drink Apple Cider Vinegar (tastier than it sounds) – and green drink powder to keep a healthy alkaline diet even if you’re busy or your appetite’s low. Keep good habits and it shows in your health on all levels.

My appetite seems non existent this week but that usually happens if I’m getting more exercise or the weather’s changing – Apple Cider Vinegar is my genius back up to normalise my appetite! But so I keep healthy, I always make sure I keep a supply of green drink in…packed with powdered green veggies and grasses and high nutrition.

It’s been a bad month for bad food choices. If like me, you are liable to lose your appetite, I think understanding your body needs a rest from digestion sometimes is important. Otherwise you risk “emergency fast food eating” because you mostly don’t feel hungry and when you do, you want to eat before your appetite wears off. I honestly don’t know how many times me and my Teddy Boy have eaten pizza this month…definitely too many.

Non vegan foods send my digestion whacky. Cheese is just “yellow lard” to me – I don’t seem to enjoy it much…so pizza is silly fast food. I can get spicy rice noodles from my local takeaway if I really fancy being thirsty from the salt overdose. But he currently favours pizza so we’ve both eaten junk :s

Anyway, for lazy but healthy eaters, I recommend keeping a good supply of noodles, shirataki and brown rice with tons of v fast food vegan sauces always in the house. Pistachio nuts too. Healthy snacks. But with good sauces and noodles/rice, I can make a giant and healthy meal far quicker than Dominoes can deliver an unhealthy salty, fatty one!

Spider has been a useful test subject for my green drink – he prefers to healthy. Also, he’s used to me smelling of henna…which smells like you’ve lying in the grass on a drizzly day. I like the smell but it’s quite strong and some people try to disguise it with essential oils in their henna mix. Because he likes the smell of my henna, I thought maybe he would enjoy the green drink – lots of people complain it’s like drinking muddy water. Or that it doesn’t really taste of anything but looks like muddy water! Some people actually blanch at the idea of adding vinegar to it (Apple Cider Vinegar doesn’t taste like vinegar). So despite the appearance of it, he tried it, was amazed, and converted. He’s buying green drink powder for himself after I made him up half a dozen bottles with tinctures and drops to fight his cold.

A week or so ago he had a really stinking cold – the kind with a cough that stops you sleeping. So he definitely needed it.

I increased my apple cider vinegar intake because of its alkaline benefits, to prevent me catching it. I also added propolis drops, chlorophyll (no to be confused with chloroform!), echinacea drops & colloidal silver drops. How would that help? How would an alkaline drink stop me getting a cold?

Well, if you stay alkaline, you don’t get colds. The virus can’t live in an alkaline environment. The same goes for many bugs. You also can avoid a lot of serious health problems with an alkaline diet: Higher alkalinity reduces inflammation generally in the body. Which means it can help you to avoid some major diseases that seem to be either caused or exacerbated by our very acidic western diet.

It’s not only diet that creates an excessively acidic system either. Stress and exercise can do that too. I work out a lot (rebounding, ballet, hiphop & latin) – daily and intensively sometimes (you’d be surprised how intensive ballet is!), so to neutralise acid formation, its important for me to keep alkaline as much as poss if I don’t wanna compromise my immune system function. It’s also great for your complexion. Good health definitely shows in the body…as does bad health.

A vegan diet is usually (as long as it’s essentially a plant based vegan diet, not a vodka and oreos vegan diet!) naturally alkalising. And that carries massive health benefits.

It does mean avoiding fat from animal sources especially though. Animal protein literally decomposes in your digestive system – decomposition isn’t the same as digestion. It means toxic yuckiness can build up. And that applies to white meat meat as well as red. The toxins produced by the decomposition of meat in your body increases the risk of gastrointestinal cancers. On top of the other problems associated with meat – the hormones in it, the acidity of it etc.

Also, avoiding sugar and refined carbs; avoiding alcohol and stimulants like tea or coffee – these are simple ways to make your diet more alkaline. I naturally do these things most of the time, so it’s not a radical diet change for me but for some people it would be and Green Drink may be a very simple way of alkalising or starting to make positive changes.

When the blood is overly acidic we tend to carry fat to store acidic “toxins” in as emergency precaution by the body. But our body has a limited capacity to do this. In addition, the body coats the arteries with plaque deposits to protect them from acidic blood. This is what atherosclerosis is and on a Western diet, it is the root of most death and disability…we consider it an “age related” condition. But it’s actually predominantly a lifestyle consequence that’s totally avoidable! We begin to show damage in our arteries in early childhood.

In the West we also have problems with brittle bones as we age and that’s another consequence of diet…the body leeches minerals from the bones to try to neutralise the acidic state. So we shrink. We get joint pain. Even the bones in our faces shrink by this process, making us age prematurely from the inside out.

I really recommend the work of NutritionFacts.Org to anyone who would like to know more and see the evidence – the clinical trials and the suppression of the problems with certain food groups that have been documented for decades

Naturally, I didn’t catch his cold! But the benefits of keeping your diet and lifestyle healthy could be the key to preserving your looks…as well as your health span and life span ♡

If you think changing your diet is a radical option, think about how radical heart bypass surgery would be…when it comes to weighing up the pros and cons, I don’t personally think any food tastes so good I would risk a stroke or congestive heart failure in order to keep eating it.

Usui Reiki is one of the most popular courses I teach through Mayastar Academy Online Natural Healing & Spiritual Development Courses. It was the first course I began teaching 12 years ago when Mayastar was established and because whenever energy healing is mentioned with regard to its effectiveness (assisting cancer patients or for pain relief), it remains the most “well known” of the systems I teach. It’s probably the one that’s most tested and some medical health practices will refer people for Reiki Healing despite it being considered a bit “new age”. Similar prejudices come up as a reaction against natural healing practices – Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Acupuncture, Reflexology for example.

The big difference with Reiki is that it’s accessible and safe for anyone to learn and use. I wouldn’t recommend anyone start trying acupuncture without significant training and experience. But energy healing systems like Reiki provide a structured and specific practice that is not invasive and can be easily taught.

The founder of Usui Reiki included the structured forms of hand position sequences, meditation techniques, symbols and methods for sending healing distantly as well as on the breath. It is a versatile system but it’s structure makes it uniquely useful for beginners because it helps to build confidence in energy work as you go. So your intuition develops without your conscious mind being unoccupied and restrictive.

People learn energy healing for all kinds of reasons. Some wish to learn to provide healing to others; perhaps to pets or family members. Some are looking for ways to develop their spiritual senses and find Reiki an excellent way to do this.

But increasingly, I teach students that are looking at alternative or complimentary therapies to improve their health. Balance their energy to resolve health problems or assist with conventional treatments they are already using.

One of the most significant implications for ill health is stress. We are six times more likely to develop schizophrenia if we live in a city than if we don’t. Modern life has its benefits but it comes with increases in stress experienced by doing things that have never been natural for people to do.

Another example is the blue light from backlit screens on our computers, games, phones and televisions can interrupt our production of melatonin. The hormone that makes us feel sleepy and allows us to sleep. Yet, many have televisions and computers in their bedrooms and use them to “wind down”. Over time we don’t really know how much additional stress to the system could accumulate through this change in sleep quality. But the fact is if we don’t properly our bodies can’t repair properly.

If we have too little sleep on a regular basis there are implications for our health on many levels. Ultimately, if you get less than six hours of sleep in one go regularly, your life expency is reduced. Your risk of heart problems, cognitive problems and problems with immine immune function are increased.

These kinds of stress are often completely ignored. We know that a stressful job or relationship can make us ill. We know what stress feels like. We know that sometimes natural life events may cause us stress and when these happen we tend to try to take care of ourselves – death, changing career, moving home – and many other big changes we will all face at one time or another, will cause stress that we need effective ways to deal with.

Usui Reiki obviously isn’t the only answer. Meditation and breathing exercises are also very good. Changing eating habits to avoid stimulants or sugar can have big effect. Avoiding falling into the trap of relying on detrimental habits like drinking alcohol (which is considered by most people to be an “acceptable” way to deal with stress despite its negative effects on health), is important.

Change in life is stressful to some extent even in the most adaptable and well adjusted people. And change is constant. So the way we deal with experiences of stress needs to be something we make accessible to ourselves consciously and use regularly.

Daily exercise has been shown in clinical trials to be more effective in treating depression than many medications that are prescribed by medical professionals. That certainly doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take them! But it does mean we can make choices to help ourselves and that’s empowering.

Reiki is an excellent option for relaxation, self healing and boosting our immune function. It it useful in relieving stress and the symptoms of stress which can become chronic and debilitating.

My view is that a holistic approach is the best approach. Don’t rule out modern medicine. But do consider your diet and lifestyle. Look at the options you can take and weigh up the negative impact of some “acceptable” habits against the options that don’t come with a negative impact. What’s considered “normal” isn’t always what is natural or right.

It can be hard to break out of habits of thinking and behaviour we have been taught and which are reinforced by those around us. Sometimes being the odd one out means choosing what works for us as individuals despite our peers or negative views of individuality that are quite prevalent in some people’s lives.

If your friends think Reiki is kookie – the domain of hippies and vegans, don’t let it stop you trying it out. Lead by example. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Especially if trying something old isn’t working!

For more information about Reiki and Energy Healing. Please see the links below: